


All That Glitters

by SasuNarufan13



Category: Naruto
Genre: Alternate Universe, Both Sakura's and Sasuke's, Character Death, Dual POV, Enchantment, Established slash, Fairy talish elements, M/M, Mermen, Not for Sakura fans, medievalish setting, some gore, some violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-05
Updated: 2020-06-05
Packaged: 2021-03-04 02:02:05
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,567
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24555871
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SasuNarufan13/pseuds/SasuNarufan13
Summary: Is not gold. Sometimes it's a droplet shaped stone hanging around the neck of the blond boy. And sometimes it's something else entirely.
Relationships: Uchiha Sasuke/Uzumaki Naruto
Comments: 50
Kudos: 275





	All That Glitters

**Author's Note:**

> Author's note: As I've said before, I seem to be in a medievalish/fairy talish mood this year for some reason (don't ask me why, I don't know). So hopefully you're really not tired of this theme yet, because boy, I've still got at least a couple of them planned :P
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. Kishimoto owns it.
> 
> I hope you'll like this fic!

**All That Glitters**

"They think they know who took that Hyuuga girl," Ino announced, plopping down on the bench next to her.

"Oh? Who's behind it?" Sakura asked intrigued, closing her book for now.

The disappearance of one of Hinata's cousins had been big news a week ago. The majority of the police force had been tasked with finding the girl again, but as far as Sakura knew, they hadn't had a lot of success so far. The girl seemed to have disappeared into thin air, it felt like, and nobody had been around to see her being taken away.

"Tazuna said - "

Sakura cut her off with a derisive snort. "Tazuna, really? You're going to take the word of a drunkard?" She tutted her lips in disapproval.

Ino scowled at her. "You really think I would bother telling you this if I wasn't sure about the information?" she asked coolly.

Well, her friend had a point there. "Fine, what did he say?" Sakura inquired, pursing her lips.

Leaning closer to her, Ino murmured, "He said that when he was at the lake last week, he saw the Hyuuga cousin at the other side of it. She went for a swim, but when she reached the middle of the lake, arms shot out and grabbed her, dragging her down."

When Sakura opened her mouth to retort, the blonde girl raised her finger and shook it in a reprimanding way. "No, no, I'm not finished yet. The girl tried to escape, but when she came back up, someone else came up behind her and pushed her back under. Tazuna jumped into the lake to save her, but had to get out again when he saw what had taken her."

"And what did he see then?" Sakura asked unimpressed.

"He wasn't completely sure of it because the lake's too dark, but he says he saw some kind of creature with the upper half of a human and the lower half was just a _giant fish tail_." Ino's voice descended into a whisper at the end; her blue eyes widening a notch.

Sakura couldn't help it – she started laughing so hard tears sprang up in her eyes, some slipping down her cheeks. Wiping them away, her laughter faded out in giggling and she couldn't stop even at the sight of Ino glaring at her.

"Oh please, Ino, you can't expect me to believe that, surely? A creature which looks half man half fish? How would such a creature even exist?" she scoffed, shaking her head. "He was just drunk like he is all the time and he just imagined - "

"That's the thing, though," Ino interrupted her, her tone intense, "he wasn't drunk. At least not at that moment. He went straight to the police force and they have been interrogating him ever since. He doesn't change his story at all."

"Do they believe him? Does your father believe him?" Sakura questioned curiously.

Ino's father had a relatively high position in the police force, just one below Kakashi, and he was rather good at finding out whether someone was lying or not.

"I've heard him and the others discussing whether they should risk sending someone to the lake or not," Ino replied, stretching out her arms in front of her. Sweeping her long, blonde hair over her shoulder again, she added finely, "I think it's safe to assume then that my father believes Tazuna speaks the truth – or that he at least really believes that there is something in the lake."

"Half man, half fish, huh?" Sakura murmured, staring out at the square.

The market had just finished and people were packing up what remained of their goods. Some would just return home while others would make the trek to the next village or town, ready to sell their goods there.

"It would be interesting if we could find proof that such a creature really exists," she mused aloud. As one aspiring to step into Tsunade's footsteps, their local but very famous doctor, she thought it would be perfect if she could make her grand entrée in the scientific world by introducing an entire new species. How amazing would that be! She would definitely make a name for herself with that!

"It would be," Ino agreed. "But frankly, if such a creature exists, I'd rather not be caught by it. I don't think that creature pulled that girl down just to play with her."

They both shivered and Sakura hastily shook her head. "No, risking ourselves would be stupid, but how else are we going to find proof?"

She doubted the creature would come if they stood at the lake and called out to it. She didn't even know how to call out to it. Most likely the only way to encounter the creature was to get into the lake, but after hearing what had probably happened to the Hyuuga girl – probably, because she still had reservations about the explanation – she wasn't eager to jump into that water. Drowning wasn't something she was willing to do in the name of science.

They needed to have some sort of proof, however. How else could she attempt to make a name for herself in the scientific world if she couldn't even prove that the creature existed in the first place? Accounts of witnesses were weak at best, especially when they originated from people known to be a bit too fond of the bottle.

"The only way to get proof without risking ourselves would be sending someone else instead," she mused aloud. Who could they ask, though? They could hardly send one of their friends into a potential dangerous situation.

"Yes, but who?" Ino rolled her shoulders and pulled her hair back to the front to start braiding it. "If there's really a dangerous creature in that lake, I don't want someone of my family or our friends to die while looking for it. Even my father and his men don't want to send anyone down there in case Tazuna isn't hallucinating or was dreaming."

Sakura pondered over the dilemma, wondering whether she should just camp near the lake for a while and see if she could spot the creature that way. But that might take a really long time – if ever – and there was no way her mother would allow her to do that. Her parents and Ino's were good friends, and as such it wouldn't be long before Sakura's mother would be told of the possibility of a creature being in the lake. Once she knew that, there was no way she would allow Sakura to even get within a mile of the lake.

As she mulled over the problem, she watched people pass them by, crossing the square and slipping into the stores before they would close down for the evening. One boy in particular caught her attention and she frowned, her previous good mood completely souring at the sight of the blond boy entering the pharmacy.

Uzumaki Naruto was his name and he was the bane of her existence. For years she hadn't paid him any attention, in spite of sharing the same class. He was more of a loner, especially after his father had died after fallen ill. His mother had died during childbirth and when he'd been thirteen, his father had caught some serious illness and had passed away after a month.

He'd been living on his own ever since and Sakura would have been content to ignore him, if not for the fact that he was also vying for a place as Tsunade's apprentice. The doctor would take on exactly one apprentice in six months and she and Naruto had been fighting for the spot ever since Tsunade had announced the apprenticeship five months ago.

She loathed that idiot for having the galls to think that he was worthy of being Tsunade's apprentice. If anyone should be her apprentice, it was Sakura! She'd been preparing to become a doctor ever since she saw Tsunade saving a man's life when she'd been eight years old. The man had fallen off his roof after having wanted to repair the shingles and had had the very bad luck to land right on top of the spiked gate he had been building. The spikes had driven holes in his stomach, but Tsunade had managed to save his life in the end.

Having seen the older woman working so efficiently to save a man's life, healing him in spite of other people telling her not to bother, the man was a goner, Sakura had instantly decided that day that she would follow in Tsunade's footsteps and become an amazing doctor as well.

She'd started studying medicine related books as soon as she had become old enough for the bookshop keeper to stop refusing her those books and had been confident that she would become Tsunade's apprentice as soon as the doctor announced she was ready to teach someone else.

That day had finally come five months ago and Sakura had been quick to raise her hand when the doctor had asked whether anyone was interested in studying under her guidance. She'd been so sure she would get the apprenticeship immediately as nobody else had expressed any interest in healing people, but then a second hand had shot up in the air, and Uzumaki had dared to proclaim he was interested in becoming a doctor as well.

She didn't care what Uzumaki's reasons were; she was the one who'd been studying hard all these years and she deserved to become Tsunade's student!

Alas, as there were now two candidates to follow into her footsteps with only one spot to take, Tsunade had announced that she would choose her apprentice at the end of the year after carefully reviewing their work.

To say that Sakura had been pissed after being told she would need to hand in essays to get the apprenticeship she had coveted for years was an understatement. She had planned out her entire life already: study underneath Tsunade, become a good doctor, set up her own practice, marry a good man and have a couple of children perhaps. She would take the medical world by storm, she had sworn to herself, and then there was this damn nobody who thought he could usurp _her_ place!

The nerve he had!

Now she had to spend all her time writing essays and praying Tsunade would consider them good enough to pick her in the end. Not that she doubted her skills; she was one of the best students of their year, which was why she'd been so certain she would become Tsunade's student immediately.

To think that all her dreams were now in the balance all because of one stupid boy … She'd spent many a night hoping that Uzumaki would just give up and retreat. Wouldn't it be amazing if he just disappeared one day, leaving her to be the only one to become Tsunade's student? She deserved it more than he did anyway and she –

_If he would just disappear._

That thought made her breath hitch and she straightened up, her eyes widening as an idea unfolded in her mind.

"Sakura? What's wrong?" Ino inquired, eyeing her concerned.

She turned around and grinned at the blonde girl, who blinked, looking taken aback. "I think I know the perfect person we can send to the lake."

"Oh?" Ino furrowed her eyebrows. "Who?"

Her smile deepened and she watched the door to the pharmacy open, Uzumaki walking outside with a small box in his hands.

"Him. Uzumaki."

* * *

Blue eyes regarded her warily when she stopped in front of him, Ino halting right next to her.

"Haruno, Yamanaka," Uzumaki greeted them, frowning slightly. He was clutching his bag against his chest, having been about to leave the school when Sakura had called out for him to wait.

Two days after having heard about the creature in the lake, they were ready to put their plan into action.

"I won't hold you up long," she smiled; her own hand resting on her bag. "Sarutobi-sama stopped me on the way here this morning, said he'd been trying to find you."

"Oh?" Uzumaki perked up slightly, curiosity replacing his wariness. "What does the old man want?"

_Honestly so rude towards his elders_. "He asked me to tell you he wants you to stake out the lake for a while, see if you can find anything connecting to the disappearance of Hyuuga's cousin, you know the one who disappeared last week?"

He nodded, frowning, and she continued, "Apparently you live the closest to the lake and know it a fair bit, so he wants you to do it. Said you can give any information you discover to the guards."

"Well, I do know the lake a bit," he said, hesitating. "But I thought the police was handling this?"

"I don't know all the details, Uzumaki," she sighed explosively and Ino snorted.

"You know my father is with the police, right? They've been discussing this case with Sarutobi-sama," Ino said casually. "I've overheard them talking about it. They can't send one of their own because they would stick out like a sore thumb. Someone as young as we, though, nobody would think twice about seeing us near the lake."

"I suppose that's true," he said slowly and bit down on his lower lip. "Well, I suppose if the old man is asking me this, I better do it."

"I'll let him know when I see him tonight," Sakura smiled cheerfully. "He and the rest of the council are coming over to my house, so I'll be seeing him then."

He scratched the back of his head and shrugged. "Fine, yeah, let him know I'll be doing it. Guess I'll see you when I get back then." He turned around and left, muttering something underneath his breath along the lines of, "Need to take enough food with me."

"I can't believe he actually fell for it," Ino said in awe as soon as Uzumaki had turned around the corner.

Sakura looked at her smugly. "Of course he fell for it; he's not that smart."

Which was why she would become Tsunade's student and not Uzumaki.

* * *

One month later Uzumaki still hadn't returned.

Sakura had gone to the lake herself a week ago, curious whether the idiot was still camping out there. She had found his tent mostly hidden underneath some low hanging branches of a tree, but the desolate look of it told her it hadn't been inhabited for a while now. Everything inside – some books, some food, a couple of flasks with water – had looked untouched and she had stepped out of the tent, feeling a bit disturbed.

She'd chanced a look at the lake, wondered if whatever lurked beneath the water surface had managed to catch Uzumaki as well, but had left then; the mosquitos buzzing around annoying her too much.

She thought she needed to feel at least a bit guilty because it really did seem like Uzumaki had landed into trouble, but was it really her fault that he'd been so stupid to believe her? Why would anyone think that the police would send someone to the lake who hadn't even reached the age of maturity yet? Uzumaki apparently, and honestly if he was that dumb, he deserved whatever had happened to him.

Besides she'd told him to stake out the place, not get into the lake itself. Really, she assured herself, getting dressed for the day, whatever had happened to that idiot was his own fault.

His disappearance just proved that she was better suited to become Tsunade's student. The older woman was looking for someone who was smart, not someone so naïve they would believe they could accomplish what the police hadn't been able to do.

Too bad for Uzumaki, but it looked like the apprenticeship would be hers at the end of the year.

* * *

But then two months after he'd last been seen, Uzumaki showed up suddenly, healthy and alive.

"Where were you? You've been gone for a long time," Sakura said suspiciously, shouldering her bag.

Classes were about to start and Uzumaki had just strolled into the school like he hadn't been missing for two months! The absolute nerve of him!

"Oh." He blushed for some reason, fidgeting with something underneath his shirt. He ran a hand through his hair; his eyes too wide for his face. "I know this is going to sound insane, but there is a creature living in the lake!"

"So Tazuna was telling the truth?" Ino demanded, marching over to them.

He waved his hands around, hissing, "Keep your voice down! But yes, I think, if what he saw were the merpeople."

"Merpeople?" Sakura echoed sceptically, but excitement started to build up in her nonetheless.

If two people were saying something was in the lake, it had to be true, no? But how was it possible that Uzumaki had survived the encounter when Hyuuga hadn't? Had he been fortunate enough to catch sight of it when he was standing on the shore? That didn't explain why he'd been gone for two months, however.

"That's what they call themselves," Uzumaki said and shrugged. "They're kind of like half fish, half human? Like the upper part is human," he pointed at his hips, "but they have a large fishtail instead of legs."

"How did you see them?" Ino questioned, narrowing her eyes.

He blinked, surprised. "Oh, it was during the early morning. I was looking around the shore, trying to find a trace that could be tied to Hyuuga, when one of them appeared. He's actually really handsome." Here his blush deepened even further until he was resembling a tomato and again his fingers fiddled with something underneath his shirt.

"He made me eat some kind of special lake plant and then took me underwater to show me his world. It's like a whole other world in that lake!" he went on enthusiastically, barely keeping his voice low enough. "And so beautiful! Everything glitters and shines and all those merpeople are so beautiful! They look like they came straight down from heaven!" he gushed, his eyes glittering.

"And the creature kept you there for two months?" Sakura asked frowning.

He nodded, his smile annoyingly soft. "Yeah, he did."

"Why?"

"Because he wants to make me his mate and he wanted us to get to know each other better," he answered and then slipped something from underneath his shirt.

When he showed it to them, Sakura's mouth dropped open. For there Uzumaki, the loner, the orphan, stood in front of them bearing the _most beautiful necklace she'd ever seen_. The chain itself was a pure white, created out of some unknown material which gleamed in the early sunlight. A deep blue stone cut in the shape of a droplet shimmered from within, like the stone held the entire galaxy in itself.

"Where did you get that?" she demanded shocked, envy seeping into her voice.

Cradling the stone carefully in his hand, he answered, "My merman gave it to me as a gift. A promise if you will. With the next full moon I have to go back to the lake and wear this and then he'll take me with him." He grinned, obviously excited about the thought. "He told me the stone will protect me from the others, so I have to wear it when I go see him next."

Their teacher appeared in the doorway, calling them inside.

Slipping the necklace back underneath his shirt, Uzumaki smiled, a bit ruefully, "Well, looks you don't have to worry about the apprenticeship anymore, Haruno. I'll be long gone by the time the old hag announces who of us won."

Humming, he joined the rest of them, leaving Sakura and Ino behind.

"Either he's a very good liar or there is indeed a creature living in the lake," Ino murmured astonished. "What do you think, Sakura? Reckon he stole the necklace somewhere to add to his lie?"

"I don't know," she mumbled and her hand tightened around the strap of her bag as she watched Uzumaki disappear through the door of the main building.

She had expected to be delirious with happiness the moment Uzumaki announced he stepped down, leaving her to take her rightful place as Tsunade's student, but all she felt was pure envy and she hated herself because of it.

How could she be jealous of that loner! When she was smarter than him and higher up in society than him? _He_ should be jealous of _her_!

But the image of the glittering necklace, of an entire galaxy wrapped up in one single stone, wouldn't leave her alone the entire day. She had wanted to use the discovery of the creature to pave her way in the scientific world, but instead Uzumaki had somehow found himself a partner in that creature, one who was apparently very good-looking and quite affluent even for a water monster.

How was it fair that she would lose out on what would probably be the most ground-breaking discovery ever made and to Uzumaki nonetheless? It was unbelievable! This could not be happening to her! She would _not_ allow Uzumaki to get the better of her. She would have both the apprenticeship and her creature discovery, Uzumaki be damned!

All she needed to do was get her hands on that necklace before the next full moon.

* * *

One would think Uzumaki would take proper care of something as precious and expensive as the necklace surely was, but he was as careless as he was stupid and so Sakura had no trouble sneaking it out of his bag when he had left the classroom for a bit.

She saw him panicking at the end of the day when he finally noticed the necklace was missing and she walked home, biting back a smirk. Really, Uzumaki was just so damn easy; how he had managed to capture that creature's attention was a complete mystery to her. The merman must not have seen a lot of humans, if he thought Uzumaki made for a suitable mate.

No matter. In two nights, she would be standing on the lakeshore with the necklace around her neck, ready to make the discovery of a lifetime.

_No apprenticeship for you and no supposed mate; you lose entirely, Uzumaki._

* * *

She would admit that she was nervous when she quietly crept out of her house two nights later. She had to wait until her parents had fallen asleep, which thankfully had happened early tonight.

The full moon guided her path towards the lake, bright enough to seep in between the leave roof. It left milky white splashes behind on the forest floor wherever it managed to stream between the trees. Around her the night was coming to life: an owl hooted softly somewhere, crickets chirped, and the leaves rustled in the cool summer breeze.

Her stomach performed several flips when she broke past the trees' border, walking onto the shore. In front of her the surface of the lake appeared like a mirror; the water appearing unnaturally still. Even though the forest behind her was teeming with the night wildlife, here at the lake not even a mosquito could be heard buzzing around. It was as if the lake was frozen in time, an invisible border separating it from the forest.

Her breathing sounded loud as she slowly approached the lake, putting the necklace on with trembling hands. The stone felt cold against her chest where it fell right between the swell of her breasts and she shivered, inanely wishing she had thought of wearing more than a dress alone.

The night wasn't that cold, though, and she sternly told herself to stop being stupid. She was here to find out whether the merman really existed or not and she needed a clear head for that. She had some parchment and ink stuffed in a small bag, ready for when she needed to take notes, perhaps even sketch the creature.

Halting at the water's edge, she looked around unsurely. Did she just need to stand here and wait for the creature to show up? How long would that take? She wished Uzumaki had been more specific when relaying the details of his experience, but it wasn't as if she could have enquired further without raising suspicion.

Dumb and naïve he might be, but even he would have grown wary if she had started to pester him with questions.

Still, though, it would have been nice to know how long she would need to stand here and wait for –

The water rippled in the centre of the lake.

Her breathing hitched and her hands clutched the stone tightly as the ripples grew, the lake coming to life all of a sudden. When the surface broke, she stared straight into deep black eyes, set in an aristocratic looking face. Dark blue locks of hair framed the creature's face, plastered wetly against his skin.

She hadn't known what to expect, but she had thought she would encounter some odd looking lake monster with greenish skin perhaps and bulging eyes. Instead the merman's skin was an alabaster white and he appeared entirely human, looking so unearthly handsome that her lower belly squirmed funnily and blood rushed to her cheeks.

He rose up until the water covered him just above his hips and his torso appeared entirely human as well, though bearing muscles only few men in her village were fortunate to acquire. The muscles in his biceps became more pronounced when he crossed his arms and she reddened even further underneath his appraising gaze.

"You're not Naruto," he remarked; his voice so melodious and smooth it seemed to make the air vibrate somehow.

She swallowed, feeling completely lost suddenly at being presented with the handsome creature. No wonder Uzumaki had been so willing to return here …

"No, I'm not. My name is Haruno Sakura," she said, finally finding her voice. She lowered her hands, showing off the necklace. "I have your necklace."

"So you do," he murmured, tilting his head slightly back. The way the moonlight made his skin glisten like the tiny droplets were diamonds was incredibly distracting. "Why do you have it?"

"Uzumaki gave it to me," she stated frankly, lying through her teeth and praying the creature would believe her. "He said he had had time to think about your offer and he thought I would be better suited to be your mate."

"He sent you in his stead?" the merman asked for confirmation and hummed when she nodded. "It is unfortunate that he changed his mind, but I suppose he has his reasons. Why would you come all the way here, however? You had no reason to believe he was telling the truth about me."

"He appeared sincere and he doesn't strike me as a person willing to trick one another," she replied, not daring to believe that this was actually happening.

_She was talking to an actual mercreature._

"I do have to admit that you certainly have striking looks," the man smiled and she shuddered, staring mystified at the unholy beautiful smile. "I suppose I'm not opposed to getting to know you better. Why don't you come a bit closer? That way we can get to know each other better," he purred.

She barely registered the sensation of cold water when she carefully stepped into the water, gaze transfixed on the merman in front of her.

"That's it, just a little bit closer," he coaxed her, his smile deepening and his eyes glowing as he stretched out his arms towards her. He opened them, beckoning her closer. "Come closer, my dear, so I can take a better look at you."

Her dress became heavy, weighted down by the water, but she ignored it, wading through the lake to get closer to the beautiful man calling out to her.

"Just a little bit closer, you're doing so well," he spoke hushed, his gaze burning and his eyes seemed to pierce straight into her skull.

Her mind became foggy and a part of her thought she should be doing something else now, like perhaps taking notes? Notes of what, though? There was no need to take notes when her future mate was calling out to her, when the handsome man wanted her to get closer so they could touch and kiss and talk.

She didn't even blink when she could no longer feel the ground underneath her feet and just swam the last remaining feet towards the merman, whose smile deepened and whose eyes seemed to be glowing even harder than the moon above them.

She trembled when strong arms wrapped around her and stared in wonder at that beautiful face so closer to hers. So close that they could almost kiss …

"Got you," the merman cooed and when he grinned next, razor sharp teeth flashed.

He didn't even give her time to scream before his teeth closed around the right side of her neck _and ripped a huge chunk of muscle and skin away_.

Blood spurted through the air, spraying the both of them and her dying breath was caught in her torn apart windpipe, leaving her to uselessly scrabble at rock hard skin for just a bit.

Just a bit before everything turned black; the last thing she saw being burning red eyes and sharp teeth stained with blood.

He truly was the discovery of a lifetime. She had just never expected that lifetime to be so short.

* * *

The last bits of blood were just dissolving into the water when Naruto walked to the shore, turning his ring – Sasuke's actual gift, a red and white stone carved into a small fan – around his finger a couple of times.

He searched the surface of the lake, wondering whether his mate was still eating, and perked up when the merman in question popped his head above water, smiling when he caught him standing there.

Almost vibrating with eagerness he waited just long enough for Sasuke to swim so close he could see his dark purple, almost black, tail glittering in the moonlight, before he blurted out, "And, did I do good, Sasuke?"

He dropped down on his knees instantly when Sasuke reached out to him and his mouth was captured by a pair of cold, smooth lips. Hands cupped his face and thumbs rubbed over his cheekbones, making him close his eyes.

"You did wonderful, my love," Sasuke spoke in that velvety voice Naruto had come to adore so much. "I'm really grateful for your generous gift."

"That was nothing," Naruto insisted, opening his eyes again. "You've given me more than I could ever hope to repay!"

A place where he would belong. A place where he wouldn't be alone anymore. Someone who loved only him, who had promised to take care of him and love him for the rest of their lives. Someone who made him feel like he was wanted, like he was something precious to cherish and hold.

Someone who would give him a _home_. A second chance at family again.

What was his simple gift of a sacrifice compared to everything Sasuke had given him and would continue to give him?

"I'm so happy you accepted becoming my mate," Sasuke murmured, kissing him softly again. "I'm going to cherish and love you like you deserve to be, I swear."

His cheeks felt hot underneath those cool, wet hands, even as he closed his own hands around pale wrists and smiled. "I swear to cherish and love you for the rest of our lives."

Black eyes flashed red for a second, red as the blood which had been spilt tonight in favour of their union, and then Sasuke pulled him into the water, embracing him against his chest and finding his lips again for a deep, soul-stealing kiss.

Sasuke's strong tail wrapped around his legs, the scales smooth against his bare legs, moulding their bodies together, and it made Naruto think of the day he would finally switch his human legs for a tail of his own, when he would finally be completely Sasuke's equal.

That day would come soon, he knew. Soon, but not yet.

Tonight they would celebrate their union, celebrate the love they had for each other.

"You ready to go?" Sasuke asked when they were deep underneath the water, so deep Naruto could barely see the moonlight above them anymore.

He looked at the merman, the ring ensuring he could live in the water burning around his finger, and smiled.

"I follow you wherever you go," he promised and Sasuke gave him that beautiful smile of his, stealing another kiss, before taking his hand and pulling him towards the hidden cave where they would enter Sasuke's own world.

Sasuke's own world and Naruto's new home from now on too.

At least one good thing had come out of that lying girl's mouth: thanks to her he had found his new home.

A new home. A new family. A mate who loved him for who he was.

Naruto was finally happy again.

* * *

All that glitters is not gold.

Sometimes it's gleaming dark eyes or purple scales covering a long tail. Sometimes it's glistening blue eyes and a loud laugh.

And sometimes it's sharp teeth before they colour a ruby red.

**The End**

**Author's Note:**

> AN2: This got a bit of a Halloweenish vibe near the end for some reason ... Well, it is about mermen. Not sure how many mermen themed fics there are in the Naruto fandom, but here's my contribution at least. My mind's weird, sorry. 
> 
> Reviews help me get through the stressing period known as exams, so please leave your thoughts behind; should you spot any mistakes, please point them out to me.
> 
> I hope to see you all back in my future stories!
> 
> Cuddles
> 
> Melissa


End file.
